Chapter 203
Chapter 203
Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 203
Lan Qi’s Double Surprise
The stone-paved paths of Ikerite Academy were already alive with morning bustle — students and faculty hurrying along, some chatting in small groups.Yet all that noise seemed separated by an invisible wall from the few figures standing farther down the lane.
Loren stood still for a long while, looking utterly conflicted.He really wanted to run. He had no idea how he was supposed to face Juliana.
Even if that stubbornly proud knight truly intended to uphold the ridiculous promise she’d made and go on a “date” with him… Loren couldn’t imagine what that would even look like.He didn’t want to spend a whole day with a fuming Juliana grinding her teeth at him!
And if they did end up going on that date — the rumors across Ikerite City would explode again.
Loren pressed his hand over his eyes.“Lan Qi… I just beg you — please make sure the other students in the visiting academic team all return safely, all right? Once Adams recovers, I’ll personally escort him back and apologize. But those twenty others… not a single one can be missing.”
His face looked like a smile — but there was a trace of tears in it.
Lan Qi said nothing.
Beside them, Lady Huperion cast a sidelong glance toward the quiet Phoenix, who had been standing silently the entire time.
Loren froze again.“...Student, whatever Lan Qi has done to threaten you, don’t be afraid — just tell me honestly, all right?”
He looked extremely nervous.Of course — anyone could tell something strange was going on between Lan Qi and the visiting students from Yaloran Royal Academy.At least, this one still had all his limbs intact, so maybe things hadn’t gone too far yet.
Phoenix looked at Lan Qi, then turned to Loren. His lips parted slightly, as if there was something important he wanted to say.
With a small gesture, Loren drew a rune through the air, sealing off their surroundings with a spell of silence.“All right. You can speak freely now.”
He smiled, calm and reassuring. He didn’t expect anything major.But since it involved Lan Qi, he’d better listen seriously.
“I am a follower of the Resurrection Church.”
“...”
Loren froze.Then managed an awkward chuckle.“No, Phoenix, that joke isn’t very funny.”
Never in his life had he seen a member of the Resurrection Church so calmly confess to him — as if he’d been converted to goodness.It was beyond bizarre.
“I serve directly under Destruction Bishop Ivanos,” Phoenix continued, voice cold and composed.“I’m an elite covert operative — activated only under special circumstances. This mission to the Heddon Kingdom was to assassinate Lady Huperion and orchestrate a large-scale ‘accident.’Simultaneously, other Resurrection Church agents embedded in the Yaloran Kingdom would act to escalate tensions once your investigation began — igniting conflict and destroying the fragile trust between Heddon and Yaloran.”
His words were measured, but his tone carried the heavy weight of reality. For the first time, he looked nothing like a student — and entirely like a Resurrection Church agent.
“...What?!”
Loren’s smile vanished, replaced by a look of total disbelief. His mind stalled mid-thought.
“This,” Phoenix continued evenly, pulling a small folder from his coat, “is my written confession, along with the intelligence I gathered — and a list of potential Resurrection Church infiltrators within Yaloran’s key institutions.I’m surrendering myself voluntarily. Please ensure my sister, Phyllis, remains protected from the Church’s retaliation. She’s innocent.”
His voice was calm — disturbingly calm.
Loren’s hands trembled as he accepted the papers and skimmed through the shocking contents.When he finally looked up again, his face was pale.
If Phoenix was telling the truth, this wasn’t a small problem — it was a national security crisis.And Phoenix wasn’t just a foot soldier. He was a big catch, a perfectly hidden elite.
“Dean Loren,” Lan Qi said seriously, “I’ll have to trouble you with the follow-up. Protect Phyllis, and handle these documents carefully. Don’t hand them straight to the kingdom’s authorities — instead, contact someone within Yaloran whom you deeply trust.You know who I mean, don’t you?”
He didn’t have to say the name — Loren understood at once.Lan Qi had already considered that Loren and Juliana would have to handle this matter together.
After all, romance required events — opportunities to meet, to talk, to cooperate.It wasn’t about forcing anything; it was about letting fate take its course.
Now Loren had to go to Juliana.And in the days to come, there was no doubt the two would have plenty of reasons to meet again — and maybe even spark a little chemistry.
“Lan Qi…” Loren’s voice was a mix of awe and exhaustion.“I’ll give you this — your sense of initiative is unmatched. I’ll make sure you get all the commendations you deserve.”
He sighed.Lan Qi was beyond comprehension.
He couldn’t tell if the boy was helping him or deliberately setting him up.But one thing was certain:Lan Qi was the most terrifyingly competent student he had ever met.
Too competent — and that was what made him scary.
“But… I’m worried the visiting team might not have many left by the time this is over,” Loren muttered bleakly.“If more go missing, Juliana will come to Heddon herself to demand answers.”
He rubbed his temples.Including the injured Phyllis and Phoenix, there had been twenty-one Yaloran students at the start.Now only eighteen were fit to return.
If they lost even one more… Juliana herself would come storming in.And Loren didn’t even want to imagine what rumors would spread across Ikerite after that.
Lan Qi’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
Lady Huperion widened her eyes.She could practically see the thought forming in his head — he wanted to personally organize the wedding.
But if Knight Commander Juliana really came to the Heddon royal capital…and the gossip spread even more wildly…
Then once Loren’s fiancées caught wind of it—
Well, it didn’t take a genius to predict the outcome:a full-scale romantic war.
For the peace of Ikerite itself, Huperion realized she absolutely couldn’t allow the Yaloran delegation to shrink any further.
Loren clearly felt the same.He dared not keep talking to Lan Qi — this lunatic’s train of thought was impossible to follow.The more he said, the greater the risk Lan Qi would act on those thoughts in some outrageous way.
With a sudden gust of wind, Loren whisked Phoenix away.
As the soundproofing spell dissipated, the world’s noise returned — the chatter of students, the laughter echoing across the campus, and the gentle rustle of leaves in the morning breeze.
“Lan Qi… what are you planning to do today?” Huperion asked warily as they started back down the path.
Lan Qi walked quietly for a moment, watching the water flowing through the academy’s artificial river.The current sparkled under the sunlight, reflecting the blue of the sky and the green of the trees — a picture of perfect calm.
“Today,” Lan Qi said, “I plan to take the day off. I’ll head to the Card Crafter Association, buy some materials, and practice crafting. I promised the Great Poet of Love a transformation card.”
He spoke thoughtfully.He’d made that promise — and if he didn’t fulfill it soon, the Great Poet might stop cooperating altogether.Besides, now that she was in good spirits, it was the perfect time to get her fully invested in card-making.
“Whew…”
Huperion exhaled in relief.Lan Qi still had leave from the academy as part of his post-mission rest period after completing the Shadow World: Banquet of the Sanctum Heretics.
“By the way, Huperion,” Lan Qi continued, “could you lend me your [Transformation Spell: Human] for a couple of days?”
For the transformation card he was designing for the Great Poet of Love, the base formula would depend on the variant of Transformation Magic used.Using [Transformation Spell: Demon] as a base would let him turn her into other types of demons,while [Transformation Spell: Human] would allow him to make her appear human.
He just wasn’t sure what side effects would occur from changing her race — the final design would also include his own hand-painted appearance details.
“No problem.”
Huperion handed over the card without hesitation, maintaining her human disguise using a simpler illusion spell.
Though helping Lan Qi craft a transformation for the Great Poet of Love gave her a faint sense of moral guilt, she couldn’t help being curious — with Talia’s beauty as a base, what kind of stunning form would the Poet take?If possible, Huperion even wanted to bring out a few gowns from her ducal wardrobe to dress the transformed Talia herself.
(End of Chapter)